About the Flag of Contagem

Coat of Arms

The blue field recalls Portuguese tradition, our remote origins,
the emblem of Vasco Fernandes Coutinho, to whose captaincy Contagem belonged.
The name Contagem comes from the contagens tax, created by King Dom
João V. The periphery of the emblem represents the proximity of the 20th
parallel; all the cities, countries, and states that are close to this
parallel use this format. The 20th parallel crosses Barreiro, a municipal
district of Belo Horizonte. The three gold cruzado coins represent
Portuguese origin. The chimney represents industrial wealth and is
characteristic of the local industry. The jabuticabeira tree represents
our agricultural and pastoral wealth, the fruits of the soil and also the main
tourist attraction of Contagem. In chief is a purple strip with seven stars.
The stars' color represents the right to celebrate the feast of the Seven
Sorrows [of the Virgin Mary], a special privilege given by Pope Pius VII to
Contagem, one of the two cities in Brazil authorized to do so. The seven stars
represent Our Lady's Seven Sorrows. On a golden scroll is the Latin motto
Per populum omnis potestas a Deo, which is translated "All power comes
from God for the people."